Mia Rose was born on 3/5 at 12:19pm, 8lb 4oz & 20.5" of the yummiest baby I've ever experienced.

Not quite the birth we'd planned/hoped for - after my water broke (tinged with meconium) on Sunday am 3/2, and I labored mightily at home for basically three days with the assistance of castor oil, cohoshes, making out, nipple stim, whatever else you can think of, I got to 10cm on Weds 3/5 - and even though the midwife said I was pushing with all the force I needed, I couldn't get Mia down & OUT (turns out she was in a pretty unfavorable position), so she was born via cesarean on Weds 3/5. At that point the MW had had to catheterize me a bunch of times already since my bladder was both swollen and blocked by our little one - turns out a bunch of my organs were pretty swollen by then. But all's well now.

I've had to wrap my brain around that, but even with the disappointment of not being able to give her the kind of gentle home welcome we wanted (definitely mitigated by knowing that we went to the hospital only after we'd exhausted our options at home with our very well-respected midwife), we're so, so delighted to welcome this perfect, strong, healthy little girl into our family.

I've never experienced anything even remotely like this exhaustion (or elation) before.

I won't be online for a good couple of days at least until I'm more rested - the barely sleeping for 3 days laboring at home thing followed by the c & then barely sleeping at the hospital thing really really exhausted my system - but I've been thinking about everyone here & really looking forward to reading about all the births I've missed!!!

love to all!!

pic of Mia zonked out on her daddy posted in my blog (link below). we'll be posting many many more eventually.

She's beautiful, Steph!!!! I'm so sorry you went through such a long, hard labor and birth...you are a strong woman! I was starting wuss out after 20 hours of labor...you win the trophy!! to you and enjoy your yummy little girl, I know I'm enjoying mine!